


To Be Jealous of a Cat

by oodal (softkyun)



Category: Free!
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Kitten, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-27
Updated: 2014-02-27
Packaged: 2018-01-13 22:37:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1243090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softkyun/pseuds/oodal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Haru is jealous of a cat, and Makoto never forgets anything, anyways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Be Jealous of a Cat

Haru glanced towards Makoto and frowned. He glanced down into the red cup in his hands, and frowned some more. He lifted it to his lips, took a little sip as he glanced back to Makoto, and he tried to frown around the plastic rim. He was not happy. He wanted Makoto to notice. He wanted Makoto to notice that he was glancing at him from across the room, and also even sending him little glares every once and a while. He wanted those green eyes to flicker over to him, to crease in that concerned way that only Makoto's eyes could, and ask him what was wrong.

For all the wanting that he was doing, Makoto was not noticing. Not one bit.

With frustration, Haru dipped two of his fingers into the cup, and flicked water in the direction of said brunette. Makoto didn't react, although Haru doubted that he'd gotten enough force behind the movement to send the water across the room. He opened his mouth to say something to Makoto about it, and then he closed it, clenching his jaw. So not fair, really. The one time he really wanted Makoto to pay attention (well, he wanted that all of the time, but this is a particularly exceptional moment) and he wasn't. Why?

The stupid, stupid, stupid - did he mention stupid? - cat.

It was no secret that Makoto loved cats. Haru liked that about Makoto. He liked the tender way that Makoto looked down on a kitten, how he gushed about how soft their fur was, when he fawned over their little sandpaper tongues. It was really cute, and so... Makoto, down to every last little moment he spent with cats. If Makoto could spend the rest of his life surrounded by kittens, he would probably be happy that way. But Haru wouldn't, because he really wanted to watch Deep Blue. It was coming on in approximately fifteen minutes, and Makoto hadn't even come over to sit with him yet, because he was too busy playing with the newest addition to Makoto's ever-expanding list of stray kittens he'd played with. Usually, they didn't come into the apartment that the two of them had purchased in their second year of college, but...

"Who's a cute lil' kitty?" Haru heard Makoto croon to the tiny black cat, and he watched him wiggle the feather out of the corner of his eye. Don't be jealous of a cat, Haru told himself. To be jealous of a cat is ridiculous. The whole thing was just making him feel grumpy, however, and he debated forgoing the television for a hot bath, but Haru had been looking forward to the season premiere since, well, last season. 

"Makoto?" Haru asked slowly, not looking towards Makoto until he heard the other male make a small noise of acknowledgement. Haru met his gaze and sighed, breaking it again. 

"What is it?" Makoto asked, a tinge of concern in his voice, and Haru slumped in the couch and stared at the television, which was off at the moment. They'd forgotten to reset the clock after Makoto had tripped on the plug, so Haru had no idea exactly how much time was left until Deep Blue came on, but he knew that there couldn't be much. The swimmer shifted his weight to set the drink down on the couch-side table and crossed his arms.

"Nothing." He replied nonchalantly, trying to convince himself that there wasn't anything wrong. After all, Makoto did a lot for him. He'd even tolerated the fact that Haru spent the last of their week's food budget six bags of mackerel-flavored chips yesterday, chips which were now sitting on the coffee table, waiting to be opened, y'know, when they were watching the show. 

A few more minutes went by, and Haru simmered. No, forget simmering - he was starting to boil, and he was surprised that Makoto hadn't noticed him steaming. More testament to the fact the cat was more important to Makoto than Haru was. Haru knew that it wasn't always like that, but it sure was right now, and before he could catch himself, he stated bluntly,

"Put the cat outside."

Haru was ashamed by it almost as soon as he'd said it, but he didn't apologize for saying it. He refused to look at Makoto after he'd said it, though, because he knew it wasn't exactly the best thing to say. It wasn't like Makoto was purposely ignoring Haru. He was just engrossed with the cat. That was the thing about Makoto. When you were in front of Makoto, it felt like there was nothing else in the entire world; like you were the most important thing that had ever existed. Haru wondered if that was what the stupid cat felt like.

"Haru..." 

He felt the couch depress next to him as Makoto settled in beside him, and he felt the soft padding of paws on his lap as stupid stray kitten walked across his lap. It nuzzled its head against his hand just as Makoto reached out to rest his own hand on Haru's thigh. 

"What did I do?"

Haru couldn't stand the guilt in Makoto's face, and the fact that Makoto saw right through the fact that Haru didn't just feel unhappy about the cat being in the apartment (it wasn't like he'd actually cared before, either). 

"You didn't do anything. Can you put the cat outside now?"

How much time before Deep Blue, again? Haru tried not to think about it, because it was just making him feel more and more upset. He shouldn't be this excited about a television show, but he was. He felt like Nagisa when the small blonde got pumped over the newest battle anime coming out. What was the new one he was watching about.. titans? Something like that. Haru wasn't a drooling fan boy over Deep Blue - well, maybe just a little bit. He just liked to see the deep water ocean shots, the beautiful fish, the scenery... Okay, so maybe he drooled some. Just some.

He could see Makoto petting the cat in his lap and Haru bristled, turning a heavy glare on Makoto now. 

"Put the cat outside!" He said, though his voice wasn't particularly loud. He liked to think that his eyes said everything. Makoto's eyes certainly did, widening in shock as Haru essentially snapped at him. Haru felt his cheeks begin to heat up; there was no reason he should have yelled like that, but he did. Now who was stupid? 

"Haru, I---" Makoto began, as if he were about to apologize (likely), beg for forgiveness (also likely), or perhaps even something else, but then the wrist watch that Rei had purchased him for his last birthday beeped loudly. Makoto's mouth fell into a perfect little 'o' as he glanced down to the time, and then he looked back to Haru.

"Maybe some Deep Blue will make you forget what you're mad about?" Makoto asked hopefully as he reached for the remote, hovering his finger over the power button. Their television was already on Discovery, so as soon as the television flicked on, the opening scene of Deep Blue began. Haru's face began to burn with embarrassment. How could he? All this time, Makoto had an alarm set. He should have known that the brunette didn't forget. And he'd been getting so mad at the cat...

"Sorry." Haru mumbled, and Makoto looked curiously at him. What exactly was going... on? His eyebrows raised as Makoto connected the dots, and then the brunette grinned widely. 

"You didn't really think that I forgot because I was playing with the cat, did you?" Makoto questioned Haru, and the darkening color of the other male's face was all the answer Makoto need. Haru couldn't even look at him, so ashamed he was of the whole situation now, the fact that he'd been boiling over something that Makoto didn't even forget. 

Makoto shook his head at the other's stubborn expression and reached over to the coffee table. He plucked up the bag of mackerel-flavored chips, and plopped them on Haru's lap - right next to the kitten, who'd started to doze off on the swimmer's lap. 

"You're cute when you're jealous." Makoto hummed, and he couldn't help but laugh at the half-choked sound Haru made - all while trying to pretend that he hadn't heard, and that Deep Blue held all of his attention... Which it did. For the entire next two hours. But, Makoto thought to himself - kitten or not - it was worth it.


End file.
